I just can’t seem to catch up with having enough snacks on hand each week, ugh. I have noticed that since we are at home (not at daycare anymore), I have to have more food stocked, duh. This past weekend my three-year-old and I went shopping. He picked up some bright colored cheese puffs and said, “Mommy, I want these!” I said, “Well, let me see” I turned the package over and read partially hydrogenated oils and a million other ingredients. I said, “Honey, these are filled with junk.” He whined a bit and then said okkaaaay and went for some chocolate graham crackers (still not he best either but a tad better). Then a couple days later I went shopping with all three kids and my daughter picked up those brightly colored partially hydrogenated puffs and said, “MOM! Can we get these?!” And immediately my three-year-old said, “NO, they are junk!” That little stinker doesn’t forget a thing! Well, we did pick up some cheese puffs that were a bit healthier and everyone was happy!

I am really loading up on all the fresh fruit for the summer and again I can’t keep up with my little ones devouring the fresh watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, etc. This totally helps satisfy their cravings for sweets, well, except for an occasionally smore here and there, right?

As some of the grapes and bananas as were about to go bad I decided to put them on a stick and freeze them. These frozen treats were gone in no time. Sometimes a little creativity with something “on a stick” is pure awesomeness for any kid (rock star mommy again, yeeeesss, haha!). By the way, I bought these sticks at Michaels, they are the same ones I used for Pancake Pops. These sticks magically turn any ordinary food into something kids want to eat, hooray!

MY TOP 5 SNACK STAPLES

Here is a list of my snack must-haves that are always stocked at our house.

1) Fresh veggies (and fruit): Sometimes fresh vegetable can get a little boring but then I just change up the dips from ranch dressing to peanut butter to yes, even hummus! Have your kids ever tried hummus? You may be surprised, they might actually like it! Plus I have had some friends that are picky eaters try hummus at my house and they gave it a thumbs up! My son also like to dip his veggies in ketchup, whatever works buddy!

By the way, strawberry Greek yogurt with some chocolate graham crackers is my new favorite snacks, oh my goodness, so good!

3) Nut butter: Peanut butter, almond butter and if you have any allergies try sunflower butter. Whether we make PB sandwiches or dip it with celery or even a spoonful for a bedtime snack, any nut butter is a must!

4) Cheese: Whether it is cheese sticks or slices, they are great to give any snack a little extra protein. Pair them up with some grapes like in our Butterfly Snacks or make a kabob with them using our sticks from above! We made kabobs with cheese cubes, turkey pepperoni and some cucumbers.

5) Whole wheat bread/buns/tortillas: Someday I will be like my neighbor and make my own whole wheat bread but for now I find 100% whole wheat bread, buns and tortillas for the kids. My daughter love a little butter, cinnamon and a dash of sugar on her bread, heck, I am sucker for that too! My kids will also reach in to the frig and grab a tortilla and eat it plain. We make scary monster faces out of them! I first made up this idea when my daughter was crying for more chocolate, so I took a couple bites out of a tortilla and made it into a mask. From then on she thought this was so cool! My son also loves the idea or maybe that is just because he loves to be a monster, ha! What little boy doesn’t, eh?

What great little monsters I have, huh? This is so much fun!

Now did you notice my top 5 snack must-have either have a good source of either protein or fiber. Why not fill them up with some protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, aka our good-for-you foods! Now my daughter knows that if she wants a not-so-good-for-you food she will say, I will have one healthy food and one not-so healthy food, is that okay mom? She even mentioned that her snacks would “equal zero” – what a math whizz I have on my hands, huh? Or she is already good at some “girl math” you know have a diet coke and cheeseburger kind-of-math? I guess everything in moderation, right? As long as we can mainly follow the 80/20 or 85/15 rule, I’m happy!